frightened
Parson clutched him awkwardly, he reeled a step or two, said,
"Don't--trouble"--and fell across the bed with a slam that jarred the
floor. The old man moaned a helpless compassion.

"It's nothing," said March, waving him back. "Only my foot slipped." He
dragged himself to his pillow. "Good-by, sir. I prefer--good-by!" He
waved his visitor to the door. As it closed one of his hands crept under
the pillow. There it seemed to find and rest on some small thing, and
then a single throe wrenched his frame as of an anguish beyond all
tears.

At Rosemont, as night was falling, Doctor Coffin, March's physician, the
same who had attended him in boyhood when he was shot, stood up before
the new Rose of Rosemont, in the greatly changed reception-room where in
former years Bonaparte had tried so persistently to cross the Alps. She
had left the room and returned and was speaking of Johanna, as she said,
"She'll go with you. Have your seat, Doctor; she's getting ready and
will be here in a few minutes."

The Doctor made a glad gesture. "I know how hard it must be for you to
do without her," he said, "but if you can get along somehow for three or
four days, why--you know she's away yonder the best nurse in the three
counties--it'll make a world of difference to my patient."

"I hope he'll like her ways," replied the young mistress. "There's so
much in that."

"Don't fear!" laughed the Doctor. "He hasn't looked so pleased since he
first took sick as he did when I told him I was going to fetch her. By
the bye, how do you sleep since I changed yo' medicine this last time;
no better? Ain't yo' appetite improved any? I still think the secret of
all yo' trouble is malaria; I haven't a doubt you brought it with you
from the North! I wish I could find as good an explanation of yo'
father's condition.--I just declare it's an outrage on the rights of a
plain old family chills-and-fever doctor, for a lot of you folks to be
havin' these here sneakin' nerve and brain things that calomel an'
quinine can't--O! here's Johanna."

On his way through town again, with the black maid beside him in his
battered top buggy, he paused at the Tombses' gate, hailed by the fond
old Parson. "You haven't got her? Why, so you have!--'Howdy, Johanna,
you're a bless'n' here to-night,' as the hymn says. Doctor, I hope an'
trust an' pray Sister Proudfit's attack won't turn out serious----?"

The Doctor was surprised. "_I_ ain't been called to her; did